Khadijah Abdur-Rahman, representing District 6 in west-central Atlanta, is the new vice chair of the Fulton County Commission for a term that ends in December.
Commissioners voted 4-2 to confirm her appointment Jan. 7 with no public discussion. She replaces District 2 Commissioner Bob Ellis, a Republican serving as vice chair from 2017-19 and 2023-24.
Ellis, representing north-west Fulton, seconded fellow Republican Commissioner Bridget Thorne’s motion to nominate Abdur-Rahman, a member of the Democratic Party.
The Fulton County Commission is a seven-member body with an at-large chair and six representatives elected by constituents within their district.
Voting bloc forms
Since joining the board in 2021, Abdur-Rahman has been criticized by members of her own party for working with Republican commissioners on some issues.
Both north Fulton Republicans, Ellis and Thorne, formed a quasi-voting bloc with Chair Robb Pitts and Abdur-Rahman last year, who are both Democrats. There are some signs of cooperation on the commission.
The voting bloc shot down a proposed 12.5 percent property tax increase and approved a new jail facility and renovations last year.
Democrat commissioners Mo Ivory and Dana Barrett voted against Abdur-Rahman’s appointment. Ivory is running for chair this fall against Pitts and Commissioner Marvin Arrington Jr., who was absent and did not vote for vice chair.
The city of Sandy Springs divides the city of Atlanta from north Fulton County. Thorne represents residents in northeast Sandy Springs, called the panhandle. Ellis represents almost all Sandy Springs residents north of I-285 and west of State Route 400. Barrett serves those inside the perimeter.
Barrett announced her bid for Georgia secretary of state in early January, ditching a campaign to unseat Pitts.
Arrington Jr., Ivory, and Pitts will face off in the Democratic Party’s primary in May. Both commissioners challenging Pitts criticize his eight years leading Georgia’s largest county.
Five seats on the commission are up for election this November, including the chair and districts 1, 3, 4, and 5. Qualifying is March 2-6.
Vice chair’s bipartisanship
Abdur-Rahman said she plans to continue her goals of building successful collaborations and addressing community needs in her new role this year.
She is a product of Atlanta Public Schools, attending Peyton Forest Elementary, Southwest Atlanta High, and Benjamin E. Mays High. She received her bachelor’s in criminal justice from Georgia State University’s Ambassador Andrew Young School of Policy Studies.
“I am humbled by the confidence of my colleagues and honored to shoulder the responsibilities of the vice chair,” Abdur-Rahman said in a county-provided statement. “I will work tirelessly to enhance the well-being of Fulton County residents and businesses.”
Commissioner Abdur-Rahman is a business owner, community organizer, and human rights advocate. She is a lifelong resident of District 6, the daughter of Victoria Travis Jackson, a local civil rights leader, and entrepreneur James Jackson.
The county’s announcement says Abdur-Rahman is a leader who tackles issues related to public safety, criminal justice reform, juvenile delinquency, senior services, development, and public health.
The county also cites her bipartisanship, working with First Lady Marty Kemp and Attorney General Chris Carr to address human trafficking in Fulton County.
Abdur-Rahman has also led efforts to create a pre-arrest diversion center to provide non-violent offenders with medical treatment instead of incarceration in a prison or jail. The program has the full support of the county commission.